There was no official ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate construction of the Keystone XL in Texas. TransCanada’s careful PR control and political pressures led to a virtual media blackout on the subject. But our movement, the Tar Sands Blockade, exposed what was happening on the ground.
“We just wanted to demonstrate that although they might be ready to begin, we would be ready to meet them,” said Ron Seifert, spokesman for Tar Sands Blockade, to the LA Times on our day of action.
To announce to the world that TransCanada had begun construction of the Keystone XL, Tar Sands Blockade organized actions across Texas and Oklahoma on August 16th. These actions combined with social media outreach and great help online from groups like 350.org, Tar Sands Action, Energy Action Coalition, Greenpeace, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Austin, Occupy Houston and many, many, more, we were able to force the media to cover the story.
Bill McKibben wrote this about what we are doing in Texas for Grist and ThinkProgress.
I know what you’re thinking: We won at least a temporary victory, blocking approval of Keystone. That’s why Mitt Romney keeps talking about how his first task in office will be getting it going. Indeed, we did carry the day — but only on the portion of the pipeline that crossed the border with Canada and connected to Alberta’s tar sands. The largest civil-disobedience action in the last 30 years — 1,253 arrests over two weeks — was enough to persuade the Obama administration to postpone approval of the border-crossing permit.
But unrelenting pressure from the oil industry was enough to persuade Obama to give the pipeline companies a few slices off the loaf. In fact, the president promised to “expedite” approvals for the southern portion of the pipeline, stretching from Cushing, Okla., to Port Arthur, Texas. It was a real low point for the Obama administration, a perfect emblem of its bankrupt “all of the above” energy “strategy.”
And now Transcanada is ready to begin construction — and a brave crew of local residents is ready to try and stop them.
The Tar Sands Blockade is an affiliation of activists from a wide variety of backgrounds and motivations. See the Gadsden flag in the picture? Yes, we do have Tea Party activists on our side, working with us to stop the Keystone XL in Texas. Don't be afraid kossacks.
This is what we wrote the day before our action, which was posted on Alternet, Common Dreams, EcoWatch, Nation of Change and Waging Nonviolence.
One year after more than 1,200 people were arrested in front of the White House during two weeks of sit-ins against the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, a coalition of Texas landowners and activists will attempt to physically halt its construction. Led by veteran climate justice organizers, participants ranging from environmentalists to Tea Partiers are preparing to lock arms for a sustained nonviolent civil disobedience campaign...
Those of us organizing with the Tar Sands Blockade include landowners, occupiers, tea partiers, climate activists, progressive activists and many more. We are building as wide of a coalition as possible to defeat the Keystone XL with nonviolent civil disobedience. It worked a year ago with the Tar Sands Action, defeating the border crossing permit for the moment, and we hope to do it again down here it Texas and Oklahoma.
So it begins...
Landowners across the pipeline route are being taken to court for their land, like Julia Trigg-Crawford in Paris, TX. Any day now, there will we a ruling on her eminent domain case with TransCanada as they try to take her land to build the pipeline. Many other landowners did not have the resources to take TransCanada to court and were manipulated by the company into signing contracts. This process has been filled with fraud and negligence, putting the safety of these landowners and our communities at risk.
This dynamic on the ground in Texas combined with the national climate movement could stop any tar sands from reaching the coast for export. We are writing this blog for Daily Kos today because we want you in our coalition.
Now it is more important than ever to unite against the Keystone XL. The Tar Sands Blockade is a grassroots coalition building a sustained nonviolent civil disobedience campaign to stop the pipeline and protect our homes and planet.
TransCanada is carelessly moving forward with construction and trying to keep it quiet. Important legal cases are still pending regarding their use of eminent domain, and they have failed to conduct environmental review of the southern Keystone XL.
Countless acres of East Texas forest will be clear cut in order to pipe tar sands across rivers, streams, and land seized via an abuse of eminent domain and contract fraud -- all to export oil overseas.
TransCanada’s last pipeline spilled 12 times in its first 12 months of operation. During a summer of record heat, and an unprecedented drought, the last thing Texas needs is a tar sands pipeline that could ruin valuable water supplies with toxic oil spills.
To continue to pressure TransCanada, we need help from people like you. Are you an organizer? Come help us on the ground. Can't come to Texas? We are funded totally by tax-deductible small donations and every dollar goes towards fighting the Keystone XL. So far we have raised over $16,000 thanks to some of the most awesome people in the world. Thanks to each and every one of you.
Here's what you can do to help:
1. Join us in Texas organizing on the ground.
2. Sign up on our website to participate in future actions.
3. Sign up to get email alerts about construction and actions on the ground.
4. Donate to the cause.
To learn more about us, take a look at these:
Construction begins on Keystone XL, Protesters Hit Back- Treehugger.com
Amid Protests, Construction begins on Keystone XL Pipeline in Texas- Truth-out.org
Climate Summer of Solidarity #ClimateSOS- 350.org
Blockade Aims to Stop Southern KXL Pipeline- Yes! Magazine
Don't Mess With Texas' Tar Sands Blockade- Commondreams.org
You can also check out our website at TarSandsBlockade.org
Follow us on Twitter (@KXLBlockade) and Like us on Facebook to get updates with breaking news about actions and construction of the Keystone XL.